Temporal dynamics of gait function in acute cervical spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: Following spinal cord injury (SCI), gait function reaches a post-recovery plateau that depends on the paralysis severity. However, the plateau dynamics during the recovery period are not known. This study aimed to examine the gait function temporal dynamics after traumatic cervical SCI (CSCI) based on paralysis severity. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 122 patients with traumatic CSCI admitted to a single specialized facility within 2 weeks after injury. The Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCI II) was estimated at 2 weeks and 2, 4, 6, and 8 months postinjury for each American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade, as determined 2 weeks postinjury. Statistical analysis was performed at 2 weeks to 2 months, 2-4 months, 4-6 months, and 6-8 months, and the time at which no significant difference was observed was considered the time at which the gait function reached a plateau. RESULTS: In the AIS grade A and B groups, no significant differences were observed at any time point, while in the AIS grade C group, the mean WISCI II values continued to significantly increase up to 6 months. In the AIS grade D group, the improvement in gait function was significant during the entire observation period. CONCLUSIONS: The plateau in gait function recovery was reached at 2 weeks postinjury in the AIS grade A and B groups and at 6 months in the AIS grade C group.

Noninvasive Electromagnetic Neuromodulation of the Central and Peripheral Nervous System for Upper-Limb Motor Strength and Functionality in Individuals with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

(1) Background: Restoring arm and hand function is one of the priorities of people with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Noninvasive electromagnetic neuromodulation is a current approach that aims to improve upper-limb function in individuals with SCI. The aim of this study is to review updated information on the different applications of noninvasive electromagnetic neuromodulation techniques that focus on restoring upper-limb functionality and motor function in people with cSCI. (2) Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used to structure the search protocol. A systematic review of the literature was performed in three databases: the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). (3) Results: Twenty-five studies were included: four were on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), four on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), two on transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), ten on functional electrical stimulation (FES), four on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and one on neuromuscular stimulation (NMS). The meta-analysis could not be completed due to a lack of common motor or functional evaluations. Finally, we realized a narrative review of the results, which reported that noninvasive electromagnetic neuromodulation combined with rehabilitation at the cerebral or spinal cord level significantly improved upper-limb functionality and motor function in cSCI subjects. Results were significant compared with the control group when tSCS, FES, TENS, and NMS was applied. (4) Conclusions: To perform a meta-analysis and contribute to more evidence, randomized controlled trials with standardized outcome measures for the upper extremities in cSCI are needed, even though significant improvement was reported in each non-invasive electromagnetic neuromodulation study.

Influence of the timing of surgery for cervical spinal cord injury without bone injury in the elderly: A retrospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have demonstrated the advantages of early surgery for traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), the appropriate surgical timing for cervical SCIs (CSCIs) without bone injury remains controversial. Here, we investigated the influence of relatively early surgery within 48 h of injury on the neurological recovery of elderly patients with CSCI and no bone injury. METHODS: In this retrospective multicenter study, we reviewed data from 159 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years with CSCI without bone injury who underwent surgery in participating centers between 2010 and 2020. Patients were followed up for at least 6 months following CSCI. We divided patients into relatively early (≤48 h after CSCI, n = 24) and late surgery (>48 h after CSCI, n = 135) groups, and baseline characteristics and neurological outcomes were compared between them. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors associated with neurological recovery. RESULTS: The relatively early surgery group demonstrated a lower prevalence of cardiac disease, poorer baseline American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale grade, and lower baseline ASIA motor score (AMS) than those of the late surgery group (P < 0.030, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Although the AMS was lower in the relatively early surgery group at 6 months following injury (P = 0.001), greater improvement in this score from baseline to 6-months post injury was observed (P = 0.010). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that relatively early surgery did not affect postoperative improvement in AMS, rather, lower baseline AMS was associated with better AMS improvement (P < 0.001). Delirium (P = 0.006), pneumonia (P = 0.030), and diabetes mellitus (P = 0.039) negatively influenced postoperative improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Although further validation by future studies is required, relatively early surgery did not show a positive influence on neurological recovery after CSCI without bone injury in the elderly.

Influential factors of the prognosis of patients with winter sports-induced traumatic cervical spinal cord injury complicated with intramedullary hemorrhage and edema after emergency surgical treatment.

Objective: To explore relevant influencing factors of the prognosis of patients with winter sports-induced traumatic cervical spinal cord injury complicated with intramedullary hemorrhage and edema after emergency surgical treatment. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 73 cases of traumatic cervical spinal cord injury complicated with intramedullary hemorrhage and edema in The First Hospital Affiliated to Hebei North University from January 2020 to October 2022. The enrolled patients were divided into the good prognosis (n=17) group and poor prognosis (n=56) group according to the recovery of neurological function after six months of follow-up. The risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury complicated with intramedullary hemorrhage and edema after emergency surgery were analyzed by binary Logistic regression. Results: Among the enrolled 73 patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury complicated with intramedullary hemorrhage and edema, 56 cases showed significant improvement in ASIA Grade-6 months after operation, with an improvement rate of 76.71%. Further Logistic regression analysis revealed that concomitant diabetes, preoperative MSCC>40.83% and recovery rate of AMS <40.13% 3d after operation were independent risk factors affecting the poor prognosis of patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury complicated with intramedullary hemorrhage and edema. Conclusions: Emergency surgery can improve the neurological function of patients with cervical spinal cord injury complicated with intramedullary hemorrhage and edema caused by winter sports. Concomitant diabetes, preoperative MSCC and recovery rate of AMS 3d after operation are the main factors affecting the prognosis of patients with emergency surgery.

Intraoperative electrical stimulation of the human dorsal spinal cord reveals a map of arm and hand muscle responses.

Although epidural stimulation of the lumbar spinal cord has emerged as a powerful modality for recovery of movement, how it should be targeted to the cervical spinal cord to activate arm and hand muscles is not well understood, particularly in humans. We sought to map muscle responses to posterior epidural cervical spinal cord stimulation in humans. We hypothesized that lateral stimulation over the dorsal root entry zone would be most effective and responses would be strongest in the muscles innervated by the stimulated segment. Twenty-six people undergoing clinically indicated cervical spine surgery consented to mapping of motor responses. During surgery, stimulation was performed in midline and lateral positions at multiple exposed segments; six arm and three leg muscles were recorded on each side of the body. Across all segments and muscles tested, lateral stimulation produced stronger muscle responses than midline despite similar latency and shape of responses. Muscles innervated at a cervical segment had the largest responses from stimulation at that segment, but responses were also observed in muscles innervated at other cervical segments and in leg muscles. The cervical responses were clustered in rostral (C4-C6) and caudal (C7-T1) cervical segments. Strong responses to lateral stimulation are likely due to the proximity of stimulation to afferent axons. Small changes in response sizes to stimulation of adjacent cervical segments argue for local circuit integration, and distant muscle responses suggest activation of long propriospinal connections. This map can help guide cervical stimulation to improve arm and hand function.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A map of muscle responses to cervical epidural stimulation during clinically indicated surgery revealed strongest activation when stimulating laterally compared to midline and revealed differences to be weaker than expected across different segments. In contrast, waveform shapes and latencies were most similar when stimulating midline and laterally, indicating activation of overlapping circuitry. Thus, a map of the cervical spinal cord reveals organization and may help guide stimulation to activate arm and hand muscles strongly and selectively.

Prediction of patient's neurological recovery from cervical spinal cord injury through XGBoost learning approach.

Due to the diversity of patient characteristics, therapeutic approaches, and radiological findings, it can be challenging to predict outcomes based on neurological consequences accurately within cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) entities and based on machine learning (ML) technique. Accurate neurological outcomes prediction in the patients suffering with cervical spinal cord injury is challenging due to heterogeneity existing in patient characteristics and treatment strategies. Machine learning algorithms are proven technology for achieving greater prediction outcomes. Thus, the research employed machine learning model through extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) for attaining superior accuracy and reliability followed with other MI algorithms for predicting the neurological outcomes. Besides, it generated a model of a data-driven approach with extreme gradient boosting to enhance fault detection techniques (XGBoost) efficiency rate. To forecast improvements within functionalities of neurological systems, the status has been monitored through motor position (ASIA [American Spinal Injury Association] Impairment Scale [AIS] D and E) followed by the method of prediction employing XGBoost, combined with decision tree for regression logistics. Thus, with the proposed XGBoost approach, the enhanced accuracy in reaching the outcome is 81.1%, and from other models such as decision tree (80%) and logistic regression (82%), in predicting outcomes of neurological improvements within cervical SCI patients. Considering the AUC, the XGBoost and decision tree valued with 0.867 and 0.787, whereas logistic regression showed 0.877. Therefore, the application of XGBoost for accurate prediction and decision-making in the categorization of pre-treatment in patients with cervical SCI has reached better development with this study.

Prognostic impact of respiratory dysfunction in elderly patients with cervical spinal cord injury and/or fractures: a multicenter survey.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of early post-injury respiratory dysfunction for neurological and ambulatory ability recovery in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or fractures. METHODS: We included 1,353 elderly patients with SCI and/or fractures from 78 institutions in Japan. Patients who required early tracheostomy and ventilator management and those who developed respiratory complications were included in the respiratory dysfunction group, which was further classified into mild and severe respiratory groups based on respiratory weaning management. Patient characteristics, laboratory data, neurological impairment scale scores, complications at injury, and surgical treatment were evaluated. We performed a propensity score-matched analysis to compare neurological outcomes and mobility between groups. RESULTS: Overall, 104 patients (7.8%) had impaired respiratory function. In propensity score-matched analysis, the respiratory dysfunction group had a lower home discharge and ambulation rates (p = 0.018, p = 0.001, respectively), and higher rate of severe paralysis (p < 0.001) at discharge. At the final follow-up, the respiratory dysfunction group had a lower ambulation rate (p = 0.004) and higher rate of severe paralysis (p < 0.001). Twenty-six patients with severe disability required respiratory management for up to 6 months post-injury and died of respiratory complications. The mild and severe respiratory dysfunction groups had a high percentage of severe paraplegic cases with low ambulatory ability; there was no significant difference between them. The severe respiratory dysfunction group tended to have a poorer prognosis. CONCLUSION: Respiratory dysfunction in elderly patients with SCI and/or cervical fracture in the early post-injury period reflects the severity of the condition and may be a useful prognostic predictor.

A dynamic nomogram for predicting the probability of irreversible neurological dysfunction after cervical spinal cord injury: research based on clinical features and MRI data.

BACKGROUND: Irreversible neurological dysfunction (IND) is an adverse event after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). However, there is still a shortage of objective criteria for the early prediction of neurological function. We aimed to screen independent predictors of IND and use these findings to construct a nomogram that could predict the development of neurological function in CSCI patients. METHODS: Patients with CSCI attending the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University between January 2014 and March 2021 were included in this study. We divided the patients into two groups: reversible neurological dysfunction (RND) and IND. The independent predictors of IND in CSCI patients were screened using the regularization technique to construct a nomogram, which was finally converted into an online calculator. Concordance index (C-index), calibration curves analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) evaluated the model's discrimination, calibration, and clinical applicability. We tested the nomogram in an external validation cohort and performed internal validation using the bootstrap method. RESULTS: We enrolled 193 individuals with CSCI in this study, including IND (n = 75) and RND (n = 118). Six features, including age, American spinal injury association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade, signal of spinal cord (SC), maximum canal compromise (MCC), intramedullary lesion length (IMLL), and specialized institution-based rehabilitation (SIBR), were included in the model. The C-index of 0.882 from the training set and its externally validated value of 0.827 demonstrated the model's prediction accuracy. Meanwhile, the model has satisfactory actual consistency and clinical applicability, verified in the calibration curve and DCA. CONCLUSION: We constructed a prediction model based on six clinical and MRI features that can be used to assess the probability of developing IND in patients with CSCI.

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Literature Review.

Dysphagia (swallowing impairment) is a frequent complication of cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Recently published national guidance in the UK on rehabilitation after traumatic injury confirmed that people with cSCI are at risk for dysphagia and require early evaluation while remaining nil by mouth [National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Rehabilitation after traumatic injury (NG211), 2022, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng21 ]. While the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of dysphagia in cSCI remains unclear, numerous risk factors have been identified in the literature. This review aims to summarize the literature on the risk factors, presentation, assessment, and management of dysphagia in patients with cSCI. A bespoke approach to dysphagia management, that accounts for the multiple system impairment in cSCI, is presented; the overarching aim of which is to support effective management of dysphagia in patients with cSCI to prevent adverse clinical consequences.

Efficacy of Wheelchair Skills Training Program in Enhancing Sitting Balance and Pulmonary Function in Chronic Tetraplegic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a wheelchair skills training program (WSTP) in improving sitting balance and pulmonary function in patients with chronic tetraplegia resulting from cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI). Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients were randomly divided into WSTP and control groups. The WSTP group participated in the WSTP for eight weeks, while the control group underwent conventional physical therapy for the same eight-week period. Sitting balance was evaluated using the activity-based balance level evaluation (ABLE) scale, and pulmonary function was evaluated using forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow (PEF). Results: The WSTP group showed significant improvements in both sitting balance and pulmonary function during the intervention period (p < 0.05), whereas the control group did not show any significant changes. A strong positive correlation was found between ABLE scores and all three pulmonary function parameters across all time points. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the WSTP significantly improves sitting balance and specific aspects of lung function in patients with tetraplegia.

AIRWAY MANAGEMENT WITH RIGID BRONCHOSCOPE IN ADULT PATIENT DURING CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY: A CASE REPORT.

SCIWOCTET is a cervical spine injury (CSI) with objective signs of myelopathy, due to trauma, without evidence of ligament injury or bone fractures on x-ray and computed tomography (CT) images. It is rare, found in about 3% of patients with CSI. Perioperative manipulation of these patients may cause secondary spinal cord injury. The challenge for the anesthesiologist is to manage an airway with as little movement of the patient's head and neck as possible. A patient is presented after a fall from a motorbike. At hospital admission, he had neurological deficit in the innervation area of the cervical spinal cord. Multi-slice CT of the head and cervical spine was without signs of acute bone trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed and the diagnosis met the criteria defining SCIWOCTET. Elective cervical spine surgery under general anesthesia was performed, the patient was intubated with a rigid bronchoscope using manual in-line immobilization. The selection of instruments and procedures is emphasized. Other procedures, techniques and instruments that can be used for airway management and their influence on the movement of the patient's head and neck are listed. It is concluded that rigid bronchoscopy with the application of manual in-line immobilization is suitable for emergency and elective intubation of patients with cervical spine pathology.

Delayed administration of elezanumab, a human anti-RGMa neutralizing monoclonal antibody, promotes recovery following cervical spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) elicits a cascade of degenerative events including cell death, axonal degeneration, and the upregulation of inhibitory molecules which limit repair. Repulsive guidance molecule A (RGMa) is an axon growth inhibitor which is also involved in neuronal cell death and differentiation. SCI causes upregulation of RGMa in the injured rodent, non-human primate, and human spinal cord. Recently, we showed that delayed administration of elezanumab, a high affinity human RGMa-specific monoclonal antibody, promoted neuroprotective and regenerative effects following thoracic SCI. Since most human traumatic SCI is at the cervical level, and level-dependent anatomical and molecular differences may influence pathophysiological responses to injury and treatment, we examined the efficacy of elezanumab and its therapeutic time window of administration in a clinically relevant rat model of cervical impact-compression SCI. Pharmacokinetic analysis of plasma and spinal cord tissue lysate showed comparable levels of RGMa antibodies with delayed administration following cervical SCI. At 12w after SCI, elezanumab promoted long term benefits including perilesional sparing of motoneurons and increased neuroplasticity of key descending pathways involved in locomotion and fine motor function. Elezanumab also promoted growth of corticospinal axons into spinal cord gray matter and enhanced serotonergic innervation of the ventral horn to form synaptic connections caudal to the cervical lesion. Significant recovery in grip and trunk/core strength, locomotion and gait, and spontaneous voiding ability was found in rats treated with elezanumab either immediately post-injury or at 3 h post-SCI, and improvements in specific gait parameters were found when elezanumab was delayed to 24 h post-injury. We also developed a new locomotor score, the Cervical Locomotor Score, a simple and sensitive measure of trunk/core and limb strength and stability during dynamic locomotion.

Delayed postoperative cervical spinal cord ischemic lesion after a thoracolumbar fusion for syndromic scoliosis: a case report and systematic review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: We report a case and a literature review of delayed postoperative cervical spinal cord injury after thoraco-lumbar spine surgery. CASE REPORT: A 13-year-old Prader-Willi Syndrome female was treated by a T3-L5 posterior spine fusion for progressive scoliosis. Intraoperative neuromonitoring and immediate postoperative neurological examination were normal. Sixty hours after surgery, she developed a tetraplegia. The immediate MRI and CT scan of the spine were negative. Two days after, a new MRI revealed an ischemic cervical lesion at the level C5-C6. After 1 week, she gradually improved breathing and motility/sensibility at the extremities. After 4 months of intensive neurologic rehabilitation, the patient improved to ASIA grade D and was discharged. At 1-year follow, the neurologic recovery was nearly completed. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the literature through PubMed and Embase database focused on delayed postoperative cervical spinal cord lesion after a thoraco-lumbar fusion for spinal deformity. RESULTS: Only 14 cases of neurological injuries at levels above the site of surgery have been previously reported and never in Prader Willy Syndrome. All patients were adolescent and 86,7% were females but no specific risk factors were found. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed postoperative neurological deficit far from the surgical site can be considered a specific subgroup of these rare complication that can occur several hours after spine surgery, regardless of intraoperative complication. Despite the rarity of this complication, clinicians should be aware of it. Perioperative optimization of spinal cord perfusion and close neurological examination in first postoperative days may be helpful to quickly recognize and treat this complication.

Classification and regression tree (CART) model to assist clinical prediction for tracheostomy in patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury: a 7-year study of 340 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a classification and regression tree (CART) model to predict the need of tracheostomy in patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (TCSCI) and to quantify scores of risk factors to make individualized clinical assessments. METHODS: The clinical characteristics of patients with TCSCI admitted to our hospital from January 2014 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The demographic characteristics (gender, age, smoking history), mechanism of injury, injury characteristics (ASIA impairment grades, neurological level of impairment, injury severity score), preexisting lung disease and preexisting medical conditions were statistically analyzed. The risk factors of tracheostomy were analyzed by univariate logistic regression analysis (ULRA) and multiple logistic regression analysis (MLRA). The CART model was established to predict tracheostomy. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty patients with TCSCI met the inclusion criteria, in which 41 patients underwent the tracheostomy. ULRA and MLRA showed that age > 50, ISS > 16, NLI > C5 and AIS A were significantly associated with tracheostomy. The CART model showed that AIS A and NLI > C5 were at the first and second decision node, which had a significant influence on the decision of tracheostomy. The final scores for tracheostomy from CART algorithm, composed of age, ISS, NLI and AIS A with a sensitivity of 0.78 and a specificity of 0.96, could also predict tracheostomy. CONCLUSION: The establishment of CART model provided a certain clinical guidance for the prediction of tracheostomy in TCSCI. Quantifications of risk factors enable accurate prediction of individual patient risk of need for tracheostomy.

The shoulder abductor strength is a novel predictor of tracheostomy in patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: Early prediction of tracheostomy in traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (TCSCI) patients is often difficult. This study aims to clarify the association between shoulder abductor strength (SAS) and tracheostomy in patients with TCSCI. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 513 TCSCI patients who were treated in our hospital. All patients were divided into a tracheostomy group and a non-tracheostomy group. The SAS was assessed using the Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale for Muscle Strength grading. Potential predictors were assessed for their association with tracheostomy in patients. A nomogram was developed based on multivariable logistic regression analysis (MLRA) to visualize the predictive ability of the SAS. Validation of the nomogram was performed to judge whether the nomogram was reliable for visual analysis of the SAS. Receiver operating characteristics curve, specificity, and sensitivity were also performed to assess the predictive ability of the SAS. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with the SAS grade 0-2 was significantly higher in the tracheostomy group than in the non-tracheostomy group (88.1% vs. 54.8%, p = 0.001). The SAS grade 0-2 was identified as a significant predictor of the tracheostomy (OR: 4.505; 95% CI: 2.080-9.758; p = 0.001). Points corresponding to both the SAS grade 0-2 and the neurological level of injury at C2-C4 were between 60 and 70 in the nomogram. The area under the curve for the SAS grade 0-2 was 0.692. The sensitivity of SAS grade 0-2 was 0.239. The specificity of SAS grade 0-2 was 0.951. CONCLUSIONS: SAS is a novel predictor of tracheostomy in patients after TCSCI. The SAS grade 0-2 had a good predictive ability of tracheostomy.

Minimizing Device-Device Interactions Using Bipolar Pacemaker Leads in a Pediatric Patient.

Phrenic nerve injury can lead to a disruption of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) resulting in episodes of bradycardic arrest. Implanted diaphragmatic pacing has been used to overcome phrenic nerve paralysis, but these do not change the ANS. Therefore, patients with phrenic nerve paralysis may require the implantation of a permanent cardiac pacemaker to overcome bradycardic episodes. Having two electronic devices in the same patient may lead to device-device interaction (DDI). This can result in over-sensing leading to lack of pacing of either device. We present the case of a 17-year-old pediatric male with phrenic nerve injury who required implantation of both diaphragm and cardiac pacemaker. Intra-procedural interrogation of the cardiac pacemaker demonstrated DDI in unipolar mode, but not in bipolar. Thus, we demonstrated the safe utilization of multiple implantable electronic devices in the pediatric patient without device-device interaction.

Adult Bicycle Collisions: Impact of Helmet Use on Head and Cervical Spine Injury.

BACKGROUND: No states currently require adult bicycle riders to wear helmets. Opponents of a universal helmet law argue that helmets may cause a greater torque on the neck during collisions, potentially increasing the risk of cervical spine fracture (CSF). This assumption has not been supported by data for motorcyclists. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the risk of CSF and cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) in helmeted bicyclists (HBs) versus nonhelmeted bicyclists (NHBs) involved in collisions. We hypothesize that in adult HBs, there is an increased incidence of CSF and injury but lower rates of severe head injury and mortality than in NHBs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2010-2016) was queried for adult bicyclists involved in collisions, comparing HBs with NHBs. A multivariable logistic regression model was used for analysis. RESULTS: Of 25,047 bicyclists, 14,234 (56.8%) were NHBs. NHBs were more often black (13.3% versus 2.3%, P < 0.001) and screened positive for alcohol on admission (25.7% versus 4.6%, P < 0.001). NHBs had lower rates of CSF (17.7% versus 23.7%, P < 0.001) and CSCI (1.1% versus 1.9%, P < 0.001) but higher rates of mortality (4.9% versus 2.2%, P < 0.001) and a higher risk for severe head injury (odds ratio [OR]: 2.26, 2.13-2.40, P < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, NHBs had a higher risk of mortality (OR: 2.38, 2.00-2.84, P < 0.001) but lower risk of CSF (OR: 0.66 0.62-0.71, P < 0.001) and CSCI (OR: 0.53, 0.42-0.68, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HBs involved in collisions have a higher risk of CSF and CSCI; however, NHBs have a higher risk of severe head injury and mortality. Consideration for a universal helmet law among bicyclists and ongoing research regarding helmet development is needed.

Timely intubation with early prediction of respiratory exacerbation in acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: Early routine intubation in motor-complete cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) above the C5 level is a conventional protocol to prevent unexpected respiratory exacerbation (RE). However, in the context of recent advances in multidisciplinary respiratory management, the absolute indication for intubation in patients with CSCI based on initial neurologic assessment is controversial because of the drawbacks of intubation. This study aimed to redetermine the most important predictor of RE following CSCI after admission without routine intubation among patients admitted with motor-complete injury and/or injury above the C5 level to ensure timely intubation. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with acute traumatic CSCI admitted to our hospital without an initial routine intubation protocol from January 2013 to December 2017. CSCI patients who developed RE (defined as unexpected emergent intubation for respiratory resuscitation) were compared with those who did not. Baseline characteristics and severity of trauma data were collected. Univariate analyses were performed to compare treatment data and clinical outcomes between the two groups. Further, multivariate logistic regression was performed with clinically important independent variables: motor-complete injury, neurologic level above C5, atelectasis, and copious airway secretion (CAS). RESULTS: Among 58 patients with CSCI, 35 (60.3%) required post-injury intubation and 1 (1.7%) died during hospitalization. Thirteen (22.4%) had RE 3.5 days (mean) post-injury; 3 (37.5%) of eight patients with motor-complete CSCI above C5 developed RE. Eleven of the 27 (40.7%) patients with motor-complete injury and five of the 22 (22.7%) patients with neurologic injury above C5 required emergency intubation at RE. Three of the eight CSCI patients with both risk factors (motor-complete injury above C5) resulted in emergent RE intubation (37.5%). CAS was an independent predictor for RE (odds ratio 7.19, 95% confidence interval 1.48-42.72, P = 0.0144) in multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: Timely intubation post-CSCI based on close attention to CAS during the acute 3-day phase may prevent RE and reduce unnecessary invasive airway control even without immediate routine intubation in motor-complete injury above C5.

Circulating neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at admission predicts the long-term outcome in acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury patients.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) for the outcome of acute cervical traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) patients has rarely been studied by now throughout the world. METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR from peripheral whole blood count in patients with acute cervical tSCI. Patients within 6 h of acute cervical tSCI treated between Dec 2008 and May 2018 in Huashan Hospital of Fudan University were enrolled. Outcomes of patients with tSCI were assessed using American spinal injury association Impairment Scale (AIS). 6-month outcomes were dichotomized into poor outcome group (AIS A to C) and good outcome group (AIS D and E). Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the independent predictors of 6-month outcome. Two prediction models based on admission characteristics were built to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR. The discriminative ability of predictive models was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: A total of 377 patients were identified from our single center in China PR. Multivariate analysis showed that age, AIS grade at admission, NLR (p < 0.001) and coagulopathy (p = 0.003) were independent predictors of the 6-months outcome for acute cervical tSCI patients. The model combing NLR and standard variables (AUC = 0.944; 95% CI, 0.923-0.964) showed a more favorable prognostic value than that without NLR (AUC = 0.841; 95% CI, 0.798-0.885) in terms of 6-month outcome. CONCLUSIONS: NLR is firstly identified as an independent predictor of the 6-month outcome in acute cervical tSCI patients worldwide. The prognostic value of NLR is favorable, and a high NLR is associated with poor outcome in patients with acute cervical tSCI.

Faster RCNN-based detection of cervical spinal cord injury and disc degeneration.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can indirectly reflect microscopic changes in lesions on the spinal cord; however, the application of deep learning to MRI to classify and detect lesions for cervical spinal cord diseases has not been sufficiently explored. In this study, we implemented a deep neural network for MRI to detect lesions caused by cervical diseases. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI of 1,500 patients irrespective of whether they had cervical diseases. The patients were treated in our hospital from January 2013 to December 2018. We randomly divided the MRI data into three groups of datasets: disc group (800 datasets), injured group (200 datasets), and normal group (500 datasets). We designed the relevant parameters and used a faster-region convolutional neural network (Faster R-CNN) combined with a backbone convolutional feature extractor using the ResNet-50 and VGG-16 networks, to detect lesions during MRI. Experimental results showed that the prediction accuracy and speed of Faster R-CNN with ResNet-50 and VGG-16 in detecting and recognizing lesions from a cervical spinal cord MRI were satisfactory. The mean average precisions (mAPs) for Faster R-CNN with ResNet-50 and VGG-16 were 88.6 and 72.3%, respectively, and the testing times was 0.22 and 0.24 s/image, respectively. Faster R-CNN can identify and detect lesions from cervical MRIs. To some extent, it may aid radiologists and spine surgeons in their diagnoses. The results of our study can provide motivation for future research to combine medical imaging and deep learning.